7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Never take your mistress on an annual guys' getaway, especially one devoted to hunting - a violent lesson for three wealthy married men.
Starring: Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchède, Avant StrangelHorror | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The aptly-titled Revenge is the latest in a long and storied-within-fandom line of rape-revenge films in which a bloodied victim seeks out violent justice on those who perpetrated it and, in this movie's case, facilitated it and worked to cover up the act. What sets Revenge apart, though doesn't necessarily make it a novel experience, are a couple of critical factors. First, while the violence is played up to extremes, there's never a targeted body part or torture scene. Violence comes swiftly, crudely, in any way that it can, with mind paid to presenting it with as much blood and destroyed flesh as possible, stemming from usually sudden confrontation with the result being pouring blood and torn meat, not preplanned executions meant to prolong suffering. Second, the victim is a survivor whose instincts take over when she's left for dead. She has some knowledge of self preservation, the source of which the movie does not explore. That is not necessarily new, but what sets the character apart ties back to the first idea, that for her the process is not methodical but simply about survival and revenge in any way she can get it. She's not interested in making a point or prolonging her opponents' suffering, or her own. She wants her targets dead, and they want her dead: no fuss, but obviously plenty of mess in what is one of the bloodiest, most gruesome movies ever made.
Left for dead.
While detail and sharpness in the opening scenes are quite strong, the lower light interiors do produce some significant noise which is largely, but not entirely, eliminated for the rest of the picture, which mostly takes place in either well-lit interiors or harsh, sun-drenched exteriors. Textural complexities are terrific. Skin textures and details, such as freckles, pores, and stubble, are remarkably revealing with sharp, intimate details to be found in practically every close-up. Gory wounds -- ripped open flesh, burn marks, and the like -- reveal every squishy, grotesque detail. The film's desert terrain is tack-sharp and tactile while clothes, guns, and all of the dust and debris that appear on them throughout never stumble. Colors excel. The movie's color temperature runs fairly hot. The palette is intense and sweltering, with a nice contrast in the rich and vibrant blue sky. Whether colorful clothes, furnishings in Richard's house, earthy terrain, and of course red blood, the palette revels in intensity. Skin tones appear accurate within the film's visual context and black levels are exceptional. Beyond some of the aforementioned noise, no major source or encode flaws are apparent. This is a great looking Blu-ray; a UHD would have been very interesting to compare against it.
Revenge opens with desert insects and an increasingly deep rush of a helicopter powering towards the screen, and the eventual flyby yields an impressive, weighty whoosh thorough the stage. Heavy electronic beats punish speakers, spirited and bass-intensive Dance notes pulse through the listening area with effective intensity and sharp clarity, and score is often hard-edged, sonically grating, and frightening in an intensive support structure. Various action effects compliment the film's most violent scenes with fearsome vigor. Engine revving rushing through the stage later in the film punctuates a key showdown. Gunshots are well pronounced (beyond the last in the film, oddly enough) and various gooey gore effects come across with reliable mushiness. Dialogue is consistently clear and center focused, well prioritized above any surrounding elements. Some dialogue is in French with forced subtitles.
Revenge includes only the film's Greenband (1080p, 1:54) and Redband (1080p, 1:59) trailers. No DVD or digital copies are included.
Revenge is quite the experience. The movie is alarming and upsetting, visually to be sure but constructed in a way to further discomfort the audience. It's as much a physical experience as a movie can be. It's incredibly well done, grossly over-the-top, and the film plays to that strength and offers a relentless and thoroughly violent take on a genre defined just by such qualities but that are here taken a step further than before. This a terrific movie but far from being for all tastes and audiences; for as many as the movie will thrill, it will turn off just as many, if not more, and relatively quickly at that. Universal's nearly featureless Blu-ray delivers movie-commanding video and audio that are perfect compliments to the gritty, grisly experience. Recommended, though only to audiences with an appetite for the sort of film described herein.
1977
Unrated Edition
2006
2014
2012
2017
2016
2015
Unrated
2018
2016
Day of the Woman
1978
2015
1969
2023
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1986
2013
2018
2014
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2011
2019